In Australia, bedbugs are most commonly found in budget accommodation where there is a turnover of tourists, especially backpackers. They are transported with the peoples luggage and clothing but not on the person. They may also be found in a building if they are bought in infested second hand furniture.

Many people believe that there is an upsurge in their numbers. This may be due to:

• More travel by people likely to carry them
• Less insecticidal treatment in bedrooms
• Lack of identification of symptoms by accommodation management, allowing numbers to balloon before treatment
• A lack of understanding of required treatment by Pest Managers

Life Cycles

• Bedbugs pass through an egg and five nymphal stages to become an adult.
• Nymphs can survive a couple of months, adults more than a year without a blood meal.

Habits

Bedbugs feed for only 3-5 minutes in the hours prior to dawn and return to their harborage. Their presence can be detected by the bites, dots of blood appear on the sheets, a sickly sweet odour and inspection of the potential harborages, looking for dried blood deposit and cracks in the bed, bed head, beside furniture and mattress.

Some people react to the bite of bedbugs. Before the bedbug sucks blood, it injects saliva, containing an anticoagulant, into the host. The irritancy is caused by the body's reaction to the saliva.

Treatment & Control

All harborages must be located, treated and eliminated.  We locate all potential harborages within 2-3m of the bed. A harborage is any crack that you can slide the corner of a piece of paper into - because bedbugs are paper thin.

Harborages include:

• Bed Linen
• Mattress
• Bed
• Furniture
• Wall
• Curtains and hangings
• Skirting
• Flooring

Many live together and the crack between the wall and the bed head may be the entrance to a large void and many bedbugs.

Premises such as backpackers hostels should be inspected regularly for signs of infestation to avoid the costs and inconvenience associated with complaints of bedbug attacks.

Solution

We would be delighted to offer you any of the above services, or assist with identifying and exterminating any other pests not listed on our website.

Please feel free to contact us regarding your requirements, and we can tailor a specific treatment schedule for you.